In cooperation with authorities: Sarajevo residents save child from begging and dog from abuse

In a time when we are mostly witnesses to bad news about events in Sarajevo, here is a nice and interesting piece of news, reports the Patria news agency.  

A group of Sarajevo citizens, in cooperation with the authorities, saved a child from begging and also a dog that was with him from abuse. It is also interesting that the citizens' activism began on International Human Rights Day, and that social networks played a significant role.

One of the Sarajevo citizens on Thursday recorded with a mobile camera the case of a little girl who was forced to beg in the severe cold in the center of Sarajevo. In addition, she had a small dog tied on a rope with her, towards which that innocent child behaved quite roughly, and which probably served as a „means of earning money“.

After the video was published on social networks, a group of Sarajevo citizens spontaneously organized themselves, deciding to help prevent the exploitation of the child for begging, as well as the abuse of the dog. Several citizens, as well as those who witnessed this case, immediately reported the incident to the competent police station, which then went to the scene and verified its truthfulness. The case was also reported to the Center for Social Work Stari Grad, which directed citizens to contact the Mobile Team for the Prevention of Begging of the Cantonal Center for Social Work.

Yesterday in the afternoon hours, representatives of the Mobile Team for the Prevention of Begging, with the support of citizens and the Stari Grad Police Station, identified the girl who was forced to beg, as well as her parents. The girl was referred to the Service for the Care of Children in Need, and a conversation was held with the parents, who were informed about the sanctions they could receive for exploiting the child for begging and for abusing and mistreating animals. Representatives of the Mobile Team removed the dog from the girl who was begging and treating it inhumanely. Several Sarajevo citizens volunteered to adopt the dog, and it was handed over to a girl who had already provided help and taken it into her home.

Child abuse and exploitation, as well as animal abuse, which we are increasingly witnessing on the streets of Sarajevo, require an adequate response from the entire community to stop this crime. The problem is somewhat complicated by the lack of adequate and conditional shelters for housing stray dogs.

Although a small example, today's event is beneficial in multiple ways because it shows that citizen activism, in cooperation with competent institutions, does yield results. Also, this is a positive example of the role of social networks through which the video was published and through which citizens organized themselves.

The citizens of Sarajevo thank the Mobile Team for the Prevention of Begging of the Cantonal Center for Social Work for their promptness, as well as the members of the Stari Grad Police Station.